Sailor Elf: Trust me. Just trust me.
Sangelleigh: Ohh, someone will physically kick Rick's butt. Not Celia, but someone infinitely more powerful and infinitely more ticked off. Celia's first priority is her husband, as you'll see in the successive chapters.
Deana: Would you like to slap Rick's wrist? Or something? (get your mind out of the gutter, Deana!)
Part Two
While Celia Bey was taking care of her husband in the bathroom which adjoined their bedroom, Evelyn O'Connell was lambasting her own husband for his stupidity. Never, in the years of their marriage, did he say something so. . . so. . .so idiotic! There were many times when he angered her, and when she angered him, but this was the limit! This was worse than when Khaldun took him over, just outside Hamunaptra.
Evy finally ran out of words to express just how disappointed she was in her husband. Rick, much to her surprise, was silent through her tirade. He said softly, "I know, Evy, I was a jerk. Celia already read me the riot act." This was very unlike her husband, and Evy frowned, ignoring the way her daughter stirred in her womb. She knew she shouldn't get so upset at this point in her pregnancy.
But Rick went too far. Evy asked, "What will it take before you finally accept Ardeth can be trusted? That's exactly what you act like, as if you're afraid Ardeth will turn on us suddenly." Rick started to speak, but Evy wasn't finished. She went on, "Everything we've all been through, it means nothing to you? Ardeth saved my life so many times, and yes, I've returned the favor. But he's my brother, Rick. Just as much as Jonathan is, and I feel like you want me to choose between my families. I can't do that!"
"I would never ask you to do that! I just. . .I wasn't thinking, Evy. All I could think of was you and the baby, and the possibility of losing you both. I know. . .I *know* that Ardeth would never do anything to hurt you or the baby. It's just that every time something bad happens to us, he's right in the middle of it!" Rick replied. Evy rubbed her fingers over her now-aching temples. They were back to this, then.
"He's only in the middle of it, Rick, because we put him there," she replied quietly. Evy remembered Rick asking her not to join this particular expedition, and she knew Ardeth was involved in that somehow. She would have agreed, if not for the persistent dreams about that temple of Isis, and the necklace that was worn by Nefertiri. Like Thebes before it, it reached the point where she could think of nothing else.
Evy looked up at her husband, repeating, "We put him in the middle. Me, with my constant desire to see things, to know things, to find things, whether they should be found or not. This time, we were lucky. . .no one we loved died or was kidnapped. We can't keep doing this, Rick. I can't keep putting Ardeth's life. . .and sanity. . .at risk, and you can't keep telling me 'all right.' Because next time, it may not be Alex or me who pays the price. I don't think I could live with myself if I cost Ardeth or Celia their lives."
Nearly a year earlier, Rick told her that she and Alex were the only things that mattered to him. They both remembered that conversation very well, because it was the night their world exploded. The night first she, then Alex, was kidnapped. The night Ardeth almost died, and the night she realized just how much he meant to her. The rage which filled her soul when she saw the Mummy Warrior preparing to kill him. . .
"You really do love him," Rick said softly. Evy nodded. Yes. She did. In spite of the bad start, or maybe because of it, it took very little time for the reincarnations of Rameses and Nefertiri to work their way back to their sibling relationship in lifetimes gone by. The beginning was the day Hamunaptra sank below the sands once more, but with each encounter, her affection for the quiet, serious young chieftain grew.
"Yes. I do. He's my brother, Rick. Not just Rameses and Nefertiri, but so many other lifetimes since then. He hasn't always been a Med-jai, but he always has been a protector. Just as you have been. You can't do this any more. You can't blame him for bringing trouble to our door, because we do it to ourselves. Have you ever once thought about the risk he took in coming to London to help us?" Evy asked.
She often did, especially after she learned he stowed away in the trunks of one of the cars which carried Lock-nah, Meela, and the others. He hid in plain sight, not once but twice. They never even suspected that Ardeth was undercover among their workers. Thank God. Because if they found him, Meela would have tortured him, and enjoyed it. Evy said aloud, "This family would not exist without him, Rick."
She shuddered, thinking about how different things would have been without Ardeth. How many times did Ardeth turn the tide of the battle? *What would I do without you?* she asked Rick after their escape, but the same was true of Ardeth. There was silence in the room, as she and her husband stared at each other. Jonathan emerged from the kitchen with a full tray.
He didn't even look at Rick as he told Evy, "I'm taking this upstairs. I'll be back if you need me." Evy nodded, touching her brother's shoulder as he passed her. And still, he said nothing to Rick. At least, not until he reached the stairs. Then he turned and said, "You know, Evy, you're right. This family wouldn't exist with Ardeth. And I plan on telling him that."
He moved silently and swiftly up the stairs. Rick sighed and said, "I'll apologize to him, after both he and Celia have a chance to calm down. I know I hurt him, honey. I know that." Evy nodded. Yes, they both knew that. The question then became, what would they do about it? What would Rick do about it? Ardeth and Celia were leaving in the morning after all, and Evy doubted if her husband would find the apology in his heart in time.
. . .
Jonathan Carnahan didn't ususally listen at keyholes, but the gunshot he heard inside the house didn't leave him with much opportunity to do anything else. He dropped the garbage and ran inside, right behind Rick. He heard his brother-in-law lash out at their Med-jai friend, blaming him for the attack against Evy. He heard Ardeth finally push back, and he heard the entire argument between Celia and Rick.
Now, two hours after that ugly confrontation, Jonathan carried some sustenance upstairs to his two friends. He went back outside, after Celia went upstairs. He was afraid he would tear Rick into little tiny pieces if he didn't leave the house. And he couldn't approach Celia or Ardeth right now. Celia was in 'protector attack' mode, as Jonathan once heard it called. . .she would attack anyone connected with Rick right now. The Englishman thought the only thing that prevented her from going after Evy was his little sister's pregnancy.
However, she had two hours to calm down. Jonathan kicked at the door lightly, hearing a soft, 'come in.' He rolled his eyes and put the tray down, before opening the door. Propping the door open with his foot, then his arse, Jonathan picked the tray up and carried it into the room. Ardeth was sound asleep, Celia locked in his arms. They both wore bathrobes. Celia gave Jonathan a faint smile and murmured, "We had a long journey, and have another one tomorrow. It's a good thing I didn't buy our tickets ahead of time. We would have been in trouble."
Jonathan didn't know what to say to that, and so he kept silent. There was a time, not so long ago, when he would have blustered his way through a smart remark, but that desire was quenched ruthlessly. Instead, he looked at Ardeth once more. His black hair covered his face, and only the soft breathing assured Jonathan that his friend was still alive. He asked very softly, "Is he all right? Physically, I mean?"
Celia reached up to gently stroke Ardeth's hair, drawing a soft murmur, then Celia answered, "He's very tired, and probably will be very hungry when he wakes up. I promised him that I would wake him when dinner came, but I don't see the harm in letting him sleep a few more minutes, do you?" Jonathan shook his head, and Celia continued, "His palm was grazed by the dagger of one of the Guardians, but we bound that after we finished our bath."
"Ohhh, not you too!" Jonathan mock-whined in response, and was rewarded with a mischievous grin. Both smiles faded, however, when Ardeth moaned softly in his sleep, mumbling in Arabic. Celia looked concerned, but Jonathan, who could understand what Ardeth just said, was struggling to keep from blushing. All right, he *really* didn't need that image in his head! And when he had a chance, he'd make Ardeth pay for that!
"Ardeth? Wake up, sweetheart, it's just a dream," Celia whispered, all her concentration on her husband. She totally missed the chagrined expression on Jonathan's face, for which he was very grateful. The young bride tenderly kissed Ardeth's forehead, her lips brushing the tattoo there. Ardeth sighed, then his eyes began to flutter open. Celia smiled in relief and said, "Rise and shine, darlin,' dinner's ready."
"Yes, well, I'll leave you two lovebirds alone," Jonathan muttered as Ardeth shifted. He averted his eyes, for the motion nudged open Celia's robe. . .another image he really didn't need in his head. Ardeth sat up with a groan and Jonathan looked back at his friend anxiously, forgetting his own embarrassment as he asked, "I say, old chap, are you all right?" Now that he thought about it, Ardeth did look awfully pale. . .
"I am fine, Jonathan. . .I merely have a headache," Ardeth replied, then muttered under his breath. He spoke in Arabic, but Jonathan knew that he was blaming the Guardians and Rick for his headache. Not knowing what else to do, the Englishman placed the tray over Ardeth's lap. As he did, he caught his breath, a sudden chilly wind sweeping over him in a now- familiar sensation. When his vision cleared, he was once more in ancient Egypt.
**Ardath was in the eighth month of her pregnancy, and Rameses was driving her mad with his overprotectiveness. Nassor understood why. Rameses almost lost Ardath when she miscarried their daughter, to say nothing of almost losing his father at the same time. However, Nassor also understand Ardath's exasperation with her beloved. Which was why he stayed with the couple as often as possible, to make sure Ardath didn't kill Rameses with her bare hands.
At the moment, he and Rameses were arranging a tray at Ardath's bedside. She struggled into a sitting position. It was not easy, for the infant boy she carried in her womb was a large one, and she was a small woman. Nassor feared more for the delivery than he did for the pregnancy itself. As Rameses fussed over the tray, Nassor carefully arranged the pillows to make Ardath more comfortable, with Anck-su-namun looking on.
At last, annoyed by the fussing of the two men, Anck cried out, "Enough!" The two men stopped what they were doing, exchanging a glance at the young concubine's obvious exasperation. She shooed away both Rameses and Nassor, continuing, "Ardath is pregnant, she is not ill and she is not dying. We have checked the food three times, Rameses. . .everything is fine. Now go, before she decides to strangle you, never mind the consequences!"
"We should go, my friend," Nassor said, putting his hand on Rameses' shoulder, "We know that your Ardath is quite capable of knocking you senseless." He discreetly ignored Anck-su-namun's muttered, 'you assume he has sense *to* lose,' and turned to Ardath, saying, "We will return, dear lady." She nodded and Nassor added in a low voice, "And try to be patient with Rameses. He is only being annoying because he loves you so much." Ardath nodded once more, a rueful smile lighting her face.**
Jonathan snapped back to reality, finding himself once more back in 1933 England. Neither Ardeth nor Celia noticed Jonathan's mental journey into the past. Ardeth was eating voraciously, though with dignity and restraint. Celia was eating as well, though much more slowly, and she said when she felt Jonathan's eyes on her, "I suggested that eating might help Ardeth's headache."
"Are you sure punching out my brother-in-law won't help?" Jonathan asked. She just waggled her brows, and returned her attention to her husband. Ardeth was glowering, and Jonathan said apologetically, "So sorry, old chap, I forgot how much you hate it when people talk about you as if you weren't really here." A quick glance told him that Celia was struggling to keep from laughing outright.
"Do not tempt me, Jonathan," Ardeth warned and Jonathan regretted teasing his friend. He also wanted to take a swing at his brother-in-law. What was Rick thinking? Ardeth continued, "You and Evelyn, and Alex, will always be important to me, but O'Connell has made it very clear, his position. I shall respect that." It took Jonathan a moment to figure out what his friend was saying, then his heart dropped.
He said, shaking his head, "Don't say that, Ardeth. You've got every right to be furious with Rick, I'll never say otherwise. And he doesn't deserve to have you as a friend, but please don't make any decisions now." Ardeth didn't answer, but the way his eyes flashed, Jonathan had a sinking feeling he knew what his friend decided. *If only there was a way we could keep him one more day,* he thought desperately, *maybe we could convince him that Rick didn't mean it, that he's important to all of us!*
One day, he would learn to be careful what he wished for. . .the gods would sometimes grant that wish, in a most unexpected way.
. . .
In the Afterlife, another argument raged. Ma'at, goddess of order and justice, was trying desperately to talk Isis and Horus out of their plan. She knew that it was already moving forward. It was put into motion from the moment Evy O'Connell touched the necklace. But there was always the chance to avert what was to come. She said now, **This is not necessary! The mortals have already started to render judgment!**
**Too late, my dear Ma'at,** came the steely reply of Isis, **and you know that. It is too late for what young Ardath has planned, and it is too late for the Carnahans to change what has gone before. Rick O'Connell must learn what the cost of his actions are. We did not choose this course. We have never forced the mortals to do anything. We merely put the choices before them, and now they must face the consequences.**
Ma'at knew she could not argue with that. More to the point, she wouldn't even try. Ma'at was as practical as any Egyptian, and it made no sense for her to argue when the other side was in the right. . .as was the case this time. But there was one other card left for her to play. She said, **I once told the mortals that I forgot one very important factor in judging the soul of Rameses. I told them that I forgot how mortals punish themselves, without any help from us. That is what will happen to O'Connell as well. Once he sees the truth, with no more blinders, he will punish himself.**
**Perhaps you are willing to trust that,** Horus replied bitterly, **but I am not. You forget, Ma'at, when my name is invoked, I listen, just as you do. To every word, to every nuance.** Ma'at averted her eyes from the young god. Every time Ardeth spoke to his bird, Horus listened, and it was in this way that his hatred of Rick O'Connell grew. Horus continued, **Even if I were willing to trust Rick O'Connell, there is still the matter of the Guardians. We cannot allow this to continue.**
She knew that as well. She knew that when Evy O'Connell followed her dreams to the Temple of Isis, and took the necklace of Nefertiri, she would awaken yet another evil. Only Isis and Horus could stop what came next, for they were the ones who placed the protective spell on the necklace. And it was to the mother and son that the Med-jai belonged. She sighed, **And what of the innocents in the crossfire?**
**You know that we will try to protect them, Ma'at. But this has been repeating for several lifetimes. Terumun was the last persona who knew how to trust, and Rick O'Connell has been given enough chances through the centuries,** Isis replied. She paused, then added, **And do not blame this on Rameses turning against the Med-jai. The two are unrelated.** That was something Ma'at knew as well.
She just didn't like the idea of Horus and Isis preparing this. . .now, what was the American saying? Oh yes. . .this double whammy for O'Connell. Ma'at knew about the plans currently underway by Anck-su-namun, Ardath, and Rameses. The two concubines drew Rameses into their plans, not that he fought them particularly hard. And the only thing more frightening, even to Ma'at, than the idea of Ardath, Anck-su-namun and Rameses joining forces in the Afterlife. . .was the possibility of Imhotep agreeing to help.
She said with a sigh, **There is nothing I can do to talk you out of this. I just ask, my dear Friends, that you take care. You know as well as I that plans backfire. I am afraid that Rick O'Connell will turn against Ardeth Bey, once and for all, because of this plan of yours.** At that statement, the mother and son looked at each other. . .and smiled. The shared smile had the effect of making Ma'at even more nervous.
**You have no reason to worry, my dear Ma'at, for what we have planned. . . well, if O'Connell turned against our Med-jai, then he would be an even smaller man than Celia Bey accused him of being,** Isis replied after a moment. Actually, Celia hadn't accused O'Connell of being a small man. . .just of having a small heart. There was a difference, albeit minute. Isis added, **And we must take action, if we want to prevent a greater evil from taking place.**
**Yes, you have said that already,** Ma'at replied impatiently, **but you will not say what this greater evil is. What is at stake here? The lives of those young people? The fate of the world? The fate of the Med- jai? What are you trying to defeat?** The mother and son looked at each other, which made Ma'at grow nervous once more. She saw the confrontation in the O'Connell house once more, between the Guardians and the Med-jai chieftain.
**It is all of the above, Ma'at. You know, of course, that Lady Ardath intends to illustrate to Rick O'Connell what would have happened to his family, if Andreas Bey commanded the Med-jai at the time of Imhotep's first rising. She wishes him to understand, once and for all, just how much he owes her child and ours,** Horus replied. Ma'at nodded. Yes. She didn't approve, as the line between justice and revenge was a fine one indeed in this situation. However, after being deterred time after time, Ardath's patience vanished. Ma'at could not deter her this time.
**If we do not intervene, then the O'Connells, and Celia Bey, will find out exactly what kind of world this would be without the young chieftain,** Isis added. Ma'at looked at the pair, silently horrified. Isis continued, **As I said, the evil was unleashed when the Guardians were awakened. The same evil will cost Ardeth Bey his life if we do not intervene. Sister, please. I ask you. Do not attempt to stop us. Allow us to do what must be done, to protect our Med-jai.**
Ma'at knew that the scales were out of balance. She knew that the mother and son were right, that balance had to be restored. Her main concern was that Horus and Isis were acting out of a desire for revenge. But now she understood that in their own way, they were trying to restore balance and justice. She sighed, **I still do not like this. But I like the idea of judging Ardeth Bey before his time even less. Do what you must.**
**We thank you, Ma'at. There are a few more pieces which must be moved into position, before we can take action. And for my son, this will be the hardest part of all. He has long held much affection for Ardeth Bey, ever since the boy became a man and a warrior,** Isis said in an undertone. This was, of course, when his older brother gave Horus to him. The young god took an interest in the boy at that time, and that interest grew into a ferocious love.
Ma'at wondered if his heart broke, as hers did, when the young chieftain called the hawk his best and most clever friend. As angered as she was by the past, Ma'at never held the succeeding generations of Med-jai responsible for the stupidity of their ancestors. Horus did not speak, did not answer the question in the mind of the goddess, though he heard it asked. Which, in a way, did answer her question. His heart broke for the loneliness which plagued the young Med-jai king for so long. . .and it broke anew when Horus was shot out of the sky. Ma'at allowed herself a cold smile, thinking of the eternal torment she visited upon Lock-nah. That was one sentence she enjoyed passing.
But Ma'at did not speak of this. Instead, she asked next, **You spoke a moment ago of pieces which must be placed in position. . .what exactly did you mean by that?** Isis did not answer. At least, not directly. However, her eyes shifted to that Place In-Between, where Mathayus and Anck-su-namun previously watched over the mortals. Now, the young concubine and her best friend were making plans of her own.
Ma'at understood. However, Isis said softly, **I know that you disapprove of the actions taken by Ardath and Anck-su-namun. I know you fear that both girls are being driven by a desire for revenge, rather than a need to see justice done. But in order for our plans to work, it is necessary for their plan to work. It is absolutely essential, and I promise we will not allow it to go too far. Indeed, we would fail in our own endeavor if we allowed Anck-su-namun the leeway she wishes in this matter.**
**This will change everything, will it not? Rick O'Connell will not be the only one transformed by what those two are planning. Just as Alex O'Connell threatened to create a new apocalpyse, by putting on the Bracelet of Anubis, those girls will start a chain reaction of their own,** Ma'at observed. She watched them intently, seeing them examine each scenario, and listened to the ideas being exchanged.
It surprised her little that Lady Ardath rejected any idea which meant inflicting physical harm upon O'Connell. . .and it surprised her even less that it was Anck-su-namun who made these suggestions. Isis replied, **If our plans work as they are supposed to. . .yes. Everything will change. Rick O'Connell, Evelyn O'Connell. . .even Ardeth Bey and his wife. Everything will change, and be better for the change.**
Which meant, of course, that the balance would be restored. Ma'at looked first at the young newlyweds in the guest room of the O'Connell manor. Then she looked at the silent pair in the library. Finally, she looked at the best friends plotting to turn the world of Rick O'Connell upside down. At last, Ma'at looked back at the mother and son, and said, **So be it.** The sentence was signed. . .now, it would be carried out.
. . .
It started as such a pleasant day. Now it looked like Rick just lost his best friend, his wife was barely speaking to him, and his brother-in- law looked at Rick as if he was barely above a flesh-eating scarabs in Hamunaptra. Rick tried to talk to Ardeth and Celia before going to bed, but was coolly informed by a retreating Jonathan that they were both asleep. It could wait until morning. His brother-in-law physically put his own body between Rick and the door, and Rick didn't have the energy to push past him.
Also exhausted by the emotional roller coaster of the day, Rick retreated to the room he shared with Evy. She was reading, and barely spared him a glance. He supposed he was lucky she didn't make him sleep on the couch. Or worse. Rick earlier watched her slip into Ardeth and Celia's room after he left. . .to his surprise, Jonathan was telling the truth. Ardeth was sound asleep, Celia locked firmly in his arms.
He watched as Evy leaned over to kiss Ardeth's forehead, as if he was no older than Alex. She looked tired, and Rick realized with a pang of guilt that this day was difficult on her as well. Of course it was. . .she would have died, if not for Celia and Ardeth. When he could get one of those two to talk to him, he would find out exactly how they knew Evy was in danger. Rick couldn't accept that he just destroyed the one friendship which truly mattered to him.
Ardeth was always there for him. He never failed Rick. But O'Connell knew that he couldn't say the same. As Rick lay in his bed, staring at his ceiling, his wife's words came back to haunt him. Without Ardeth, this family would not exist. He heard about Garai's dream, about the fate of the Med-jai, had Andreas lived. It didn't seem real to him, though. Perhaps it was a mark of just how deeply entrenched Ardeth was in his life and in his world, that Rick couldn't imagine what such a world would be like.
As ever, he wasn't aware of falling asleep. . .one moment, he was awake, and the next. . .The next, he was in a strange place. A strangely familiar place. Rick looked around him, his heart racing. It looked like Ahm Shere, like Hamunaptra, like a hundred different temples he saw in his years of marriage to Evy. It was all of them and none of them. And standing in the middle of this strange room was a single, solitary figure. A young girl, it looked like.
"So. You cannot fathom a world without Ardeth Bey, Rick O'Connell?" the girl asked. She spoke in ancient Egyptian, her words tinted by a slight accent that he couldn't place. More than that, he didn't understand why he understood, when Rick didn't understand a word of the ancient language. Hell, half the time he didn't understand Ardeth even when he spoke English! The girl turned to face him, long dark hair swinging about her shoulders.
And it was then that he recognized her. The black wig which covered her own curly dark hair. The kohl-rimmed eyes and the pale face. Hazel eyes which burned into him only hours earlier. But it wasn't the same girl. This girl was much younger. . .and much older. Rick breathed, "Lady Ardath." She tilted her head to one side, before dipping it ever so slightly in a way which reminded Rick powerfully of his friend. Which was reasonable, considering she was Ardeth's own ancestress.
"You do remember me. . .I am flattered. I was not certain if you would. The last time you saw me, I shared a body with my reincarnation," the young concubine observed. Rick was trying to process this information. This was no dream. He had no reason to dream about this woman. She was attired in her favorite white shift, with a gold belt at her waist, and her feet were bare. Ardath, beloved of Rameses, walked in a circle around Rick, continuing, "But you did not answer my question. You cannot imagine a world without Ardeth Bey? Perhaps, then, I should show you what Garai has seen."
Rick found it hard to keep his eyes on this woman as she circled around him, though she kept her eyes on him in an unnerving way. She was twenty years old when she died. Younger than Evy was when they met. But in those twenty years of life, she experienced more than most people of the modern era did in their entire lives. Rick said slowly, "Why would you do this? Why have you brought me here?"
"Why? I should think that was obvious, Mr. O'Connell. I wish to make sure you never take my child for granted again," Ardath answered. She stopped circling around him, her eyes boring into his once more. Rick tried to look away, tried to pull his eyes away from hers. But she would not allow that. She had a force of will that Rick couldn't remember from being Terumun. A force of will he witnessed many times in Ardeth.
Rick said, "If this is about what happened today. . .I'm sorry. I went too far, and my brain quit working." Ardath once more began circling around him, making him very nervous. When Rick O'Connell became nervous, he also became defensive. Thus was the case when he snapped, "Dammit, what do you want from me? I apologized, I'll make it right with Ardeth!" The young woman stopped, her wig whipping around her face.
Her eyes blazed as she hissed, "You cannot make it right, Rick O'Connell! You cannot, because you have no idea what kind of world would have been born in the wake of Imhotep's triumph! You cannot make it right, because you have no idea what kind of world would have been created without my child here to help you. You have no idea, because you still do not understand the sacrifices my child has made for you and yours!
Rick jerked back, stunned by the potency of her rage. Lady Ardath nodded her head slowly, adding, "No, you have no idea. But you will. It is time for you to see what my child has meant to your family. Your wife was correct, when she told you that your family would not exist without my child. Not even she understands how correct she is, but I am sure she will. You see, even as I educate you. . .my Rameses shows what would have been to his reborn sister."
"What would have been. . .what might have been? What's that got to do with anything? That's not important. What's important is reality, and the reality is, we kicked Imhotep's ass not once, but twice!" Rick blurted out. Wrong thing to say. Ardath's dark eyes narrowed and she stepped closer to him. One small hand reached out, touching Rick's chest. . .and knocked him back several feet. It took Rick a moment to shake off his dizziness, and when he did, the concubine was standing over him, her eyes burning into him like a pair of hot coals.
He remembered from Terumun that when Ardath was angry, her eyes darkened until they were almost black. The same color they were right now. For that matter, they were the same color as Celia's when she was mad. Oh shit. He was screwed! Lady Ardath hissed, "Know this, Rick O'Connell. Reality is what you make of it. For every choice you make, there are other options which have the potential to alter your fate. That is why you are here. And you will not leave until you understand that, until you see the other possibilities which might have resulted from your choices and the choices made by others. By Andreas Bey, by Lock-nah, by Ardeth himself, and by your own wife."
The words, the expression, the burning dark eyes served to remind Rick of another confrontation, eight years in the past. Dazed, he murmured, repeating those long-ago words, "Know this. This creature is the bringer of death. He will never eat. . .he will never sleep. . .and he will never stop." Ardeth's words to him after Evy awakened Imhotep, and Rick protested that Imhotep was dead.
Lady Ardath raised an eyebrow and replied, "Very good. You do remember. Get up, Mr. O'Connell. I cannot show you the truth if you are lying on your back, staring up at me." Rick did as he was told and rose first to his knees, then to his feet. Ardath waved her hand, and one wall lit up. Rick's heart dropped as he recognized the scene. Hamunaptra, the night he first met Ardeth.
Lady Ardath intoned, "Hamunaptra, 1926. In 1917, Andreas Bey, the headstrong chieftain, showed a rare moment of common sense. He, his seventeen year old brother, and the twelve Commanders hunted down Lock-nah for his crimes against the Med-jai, and executed him. On this night, Andreas Bey is thirty-one years old. He has a beautiful wife, and Ardeth is his second-in-command, for Andreas realizes that Ardeth is more level- headed and more inclined to look after the needs of the men than himself."
Rick almost asked why she was showing him what he already knew, when the picture changed. Once more, a Med-jai raced after Jonathan, and once more, Rick tackled him from his horse, sending both men into a tent. But this time, it was not Ardeth who stared at him, but his older brother. Rick had a sudden, sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, because he saw none of the quiet strength and sensibility which marked Ardeth.
He was proven correct, when the other Rick rolled back and lit a stick of dynamite. Instead of taking Rick's measure, Andreas rushed him with a wild cry of rage. The dream-Rick threw the dynamite, and Andreas batted it away with his scimitar. Rick saw his other self falling backward, with the scimitar poised to end his life. The dynamite exploded, and a scream tore the air. The scimitar stopped, and his assailant spun around, his eyes wild. He screamed his brother's name, then ran toward the explosion. Rick's dream self followed with the Americans.
The men in black robes parted for their chieftain, except for a small group of men huddled around another. The dream-Rick stared in shock. He could see little of the victim, only a pair of boots under black robes. But he could see a small crater where the dynamite exploded. At the same time, the real Rick could tell something else. Ardeth's back was to the dynamite when it went off.
He was the only one hurt, and Rick gave a strangled moan, whispering, "No." He didn't need Lady Ardath to gesture once more to know that Ardeth realized the danger, and pushed the men back from the dynamite before it went off. Rick said again, "No." But nothing changed. The horror on the faces of the Med-jai. Ardeth's motionless body. Was he alive, was he dead? Would he survive the injuries caused by his irrational older brother and the American? Rick didn't have a very good feeling about this, and he prayed that he wouldn't watch his best friend die, as he once watched his wife die.
Andreas Bey fell to his knees beside his younger brother, moaning, "Ardeth. . .oh gods, no! No, no, no!" He gathered the unmoving form into his arms, rocking him back and forth. Jonathan came to the dream-Rick's side, guiding a stunned Evelyn. He was actually holding her upright, for she was still shaking off the effects of being knocked off her feet by the force of the shotgun blast when she fired it at the oncoming warrior.
It was then that Rick realized that his friend wasn't quite dead, for both he and Lady Ardath heard the young warrior whispering something to his elder brother. The only thing which the dream-Rick heard was Andreas whispering in Arabic, "No, little brother, save your strength. You mustn't speak. . .just rest. Shhh." Now both the dream-Rick and the real Rick could see Ardeth cradled against his older brother's broad chest.
A Med-jai was saying in Arabic, "He saw the dynamite when it hit, Andreas, and he started pushing us all back. He saved us, Andreas, and sacrificed himself." Rick bit back a moan, seeing the terrible injuries done to his friend by that stick of dynamite. Andreas growled, scooping Ardeth up into his arms and standing up straight. Ardeth was still breathing, barely, and draped over his brother's arms. He mercifully lost consciousness.
Andreas came face to face with the dream-Rick, and said, "We will go now. But if we return tomorrow, and you are still here. . .if my brother dies. . .I will kill you." The dream-Rick looked at the unconscious form in the man's arms. Andreas called out, "Yalla, imshi!" Another rider took Ardeth's limp body from the chieftain, long enough for Andreas to mount his own horse. Then the older brother took Ardeth back, cradling him once more against his chest.
The next scene was the Med-jai village, where the healers fought to save the young warrior. He lost a great deal of blood, much of it internal. Ardeth passed in and out of consciousness, moaning in pain when consciousness returned. But not enough consciousness to make him aware of his surroundings, or of the strong arms which held him so tightly. . .the arms of his older brother.
By this time, tears were running down Rick's face. Ardeth was so stoic, there were times Rick forgot that the other man was just as fragile as any human being. But now, the only reality Ardeth knew was pain. He could focus on nothing else. He couldn't even see the tears streaking his older brother's face. As Ardeth struggled to breathe, Andreas whispered, "Fight, my little brother, fight. I need you, Ardeth, you are my strength." Rick tried to look away as Andreas kissed his brother's forehead, but his companion would not allow that. Andreas rasped out, "Oh gods, Ardeth, you cannot do this to me! What will I do without you? Gods, you cannot take my little brother! He is too young to die! Stay with me, Ardeth, stay with me. Just keep breathing."
But the injuries were too much. The explosion catapulted Ardeth off his feet, before smashing him onto the ground with terrible force. The impact shattered the young warrior's spleen, broke several ribs, and those broken ribs in turn punctured his lung. Ardeth took a breath. . .released it. . .but his chest didn't rise again. The life left his body with that last breath, and Andreas Bey moaned his brother's name in denial and in grief, "No! Ardeth, Ardeth, Ardeth. . .oh gods, Ardeth, come back! Come back!"
Rick felt icy fingers trickle down his spine, hearing himself in that anguished cry. He said those words. He cried out to his dying wife, begging her to come back to him. She did. But no one would restore his little brother to Andreas. That sick feeling returned to Rick, for he saw what would come next. Even as the grieving chieftain drew his brother once more into his arms, Rick knew, without Andreas saying the words.
But he heard them, nonetheless. Andreas kissed his brother's forehead, before carefully gathering him up and carrying him outside. Under the rising sun, Andreas lifted his brother's body high in his arms. The grieving chieftain cried, "Gods of Egypt, welcome my brother into the Afterlife. Ma'at will weigh his heart, and find him worthy. And I. . .I shall take my revenge. He who killed my brother *will* die!"
"I've seen enough," Rick told Lady Ardath as the image slowly faded away. He saw more than enough. She merely raised her eyebrows as Rick angrily wiped away his tears, and the American repeated, "I said, I've seen enough, you've proven your point! Andreas is gonna kill me, avenging his brother, and then he'll die himself at Imhotep's hands. Garai has told us about his dreams, I know what comes next!"
"You have seen enough?" Lady Ardath murmured, tilting her head to one side. She regarded him thoughtfully, her forehead furrowed with concentration. Rick had no idea what she was looking for in him. He only knew that she didn't find it. She shook her head, saying, "You have seen enough, you say? I think not, Rick O'Connell. I think not. Behold. . .there is far more to see, than what I have shown you so far." She waved her hand, demonstrating exactly what she meant by *that* remark.
. . .
Evelyn O'Connell, of course, had no way of knowing what her husband was dreaming. She only knew once she fell asleep, she found herself in the past. . .in the nursery where Nefertiri once watched Rameses weep for his lost Ardath, and for the son who was her final gift to him. She knew one other thing. In this place, she wasn't pregnant. Evy looked around, frowning when she heard crying. It came from the crib, and Evy went to the source.
A baby was crying. And that part of Evy which was Nefertiri whispered, "My nephew." She gathered the little boy into her arms, realizing with a start that she held the first Ardeth Bey. The first Med- jai chieftain, now just a helpless baby in her arms. She remembered dying at Ahm Shere, and thinking about the son she was leaving behind. 'Take care of Alex,' she told Rick when he asked her what to do. And for the first time, she thought about how Ardath must have felt, leaving her seven- day old son.
"It was the worst thing which ever happened to her, my little sister," came a familiar voice. Evy turned to see Ardeth approach her. Only. . .it wasn't Ardeth. No familiar markings adorned his face, and Evy knew that this was Rameses, elder brother of Nefertiri, beloved prince of Ardath, and the father of the child now in her arms. Rameses approached her, his dark eyes shifting to the infant, and Evy reacted on pure instinct. She placed the little boy in his arms.
Rameses tried to pull away, his eyes now looking panicked, but the baby began crying. Evy said severely, "Your son needs you, Rameses. You are no longer without your Ardath, my brother. . .will you let your son go so easily a second time?" Evy knew that giving Ardeth to Shakir was not easy for Rameses. . .not easy at all, and Rameses glared at her.
But he didn't release his son. Instead, he drew little Ardeth closer, snapping, "It is time I educated you, little sister, just as your husband is being educated as we speak." He nodded toward one of the walls, in a gesture which reminded her powerfully of Ardeth. Of course it would. Ardeth was this man's reincarnation, as well as his descendant. Evy looked away from her brother. . .from Nefertiri's brother. . .and gasped at the sight in front of her.
It was the night of the Med-jai raid at Hamunaptra, the night they first met Ardeth. But instead of Ardeth, his older brother Andreas was in charge, and Evy realized with horror that she was seeing the nightmare which tormented Garai. She actually saw the explosion that would have taken Ardeth's life. She watched the life leave Ardeth's body, and heard Andreas cry to the heavens, swearing revenge.
In this horrible version of reality, they again remained at Hamunaptra. Only this time, the price of her arrogance was much, much higher. She watched herself reading from the Book of the Dead. . .heard Imhotep cry out in triumph and rage. . .and saw the swarm of locusts. She watched in horror as Mr Burns' glasses were trampled in the attempt to escape, and as his eyes and tongue were taken from him by Imhotep.
And again, the reality twisted horribly. She heard about it from Garai. But seeing it was far different. Because as the group flew out of Hamunaptra, they once more stopped short at the sight of the Med-jai. But the Med-jai did not stop. Andreas stepped forward, drew his dagger and drove it deep into Rick's abdomen. Evy caught her breath, seeing an eerie reenactment of her own stabbing at the hands of Meela Nais.
Andreas hissed, "I told you if my brother died, then I would kill you." He twisted the knife, driving a strangled groan from Rick, and continued, "My brother died this morning, now it is your turn." He drew the knife from Rick's body, stepping back, and allowed Rick to fall. Andreas turned his attention to Evy, saying, "You killed my brother as well, woman, but I will allow you to live. Now, GO! We must go on the hunt, and find a way to kill the Creature. GO!"
But Andreas did not live through the hunt for Imhotep. Instead, he and his Med-jai were killed by the newly-awakened victim of the hom-dai. Evy couldn't look away. Imhotep tortured him for hours, until Andreas finally begged for death, tortured him and taunted him with visions of what Imhotep would do to his people once Anck-su-namun was successfully raised this time.
Promises that he kept. But first, he killed those who opened the chest. His next target was Evy. Jonathan tried. . .tried so hard to protect her, but he met an equally deadly fate. Then it was Evy's turn. Ardeth was dead. Rick was dead. Jonathan was dead. The curator was dead. All of the Americans were dead. There was no one to save her when Imhotep sacrificed her to bring back Anck-su-namun. No one to stand in the high priest's way as he wiped out the Med-jai at Hamunaptra. Warriors from all twelve tribes, women, and children, it didn't matter.
Nothing could stop him, but there was no happy ending for Imhotep or Anck-su-namun, either. At the insistence of the new queen, Lock-nah and his men found twenty-three year old Celia Ferguson in Chicago, abducted her, and brought her to Anck. But instead of commanding him to kill her, as Lock-nah anticipated, Anck screamed in rage when she beheld Celia's manacles.
She freed the terrified girl, putting her arms around her protectively, and with that supposed betrayal, Lock-nah turned against his new mistress. He waited and watched through the years as the young queen grew attached to Ardath's reincarnation. In 1932, he struck. The plan was to kill Celia in full view of the queen. . .just as Imhotep and Anck-su-namun killed Seti while his daughter watched in horror from the balcony.
But Lock-nah underestimated the queen. She overheard two of Lock- nah's men plotting to kill Celia. As Lock-nah lifted his sword to slay the young American woman, Anck-su-namun burst into the chamber and took the killing blow herself. Imhotep saw everything, and as Celia struggled into a sitting position, trying to save Anck-su-namun, the enraged high priest cut down his treacherous ex-servant himself.
By now, tears were flowing freely down Evy's face. Three thousand years earlier, Anck-su-namun unwittingly caused the death of her best friend, by giving her the poisoned wine which Khaldun meant for Rameses. In 1932, Anck-su-namun sacrificed her own life to save Ardath's reincarnation, dying in Celia's arms as Imhotep begged her to live. When she died, his scream could be heard by the gods.
But it wasn't over yet. For in the slaughter which came, one of Lock- nah's men escaped Imhotep's wrath. Celia, who was a living reminder of Anck-su-namun, remained with the high priest in the dark days which followed. The servants and slaves came to trust her, for she often intervened on their behalf. . .and in return, they told her what they knew. When Celia had enough information, she went to Imhotep.
By this time, it was 1933, the year of the Scorpion. It was the intention of Hafez to wake the Scorpion King with the Bracelet of Anubis. If that happened, what remained of humanity would be wiped out. Imhotep's hatred was expended. He could allow no more people to die. He did not love Celia, not the way he loved Anck-su-namun. But the night before leaving for Ahm Shere, he lay with her, and then sent her from Egypt.
She did not go alone. He sent all of his servants, all of his slaves with her. They were to protect her, and she was to find all the pockets of humanity which remained. Now, Imhotep regretted killing the Med-jai, for he knew he could have used their aid against the Anubis Warriors. But there was no help for it now. Instead, he asked Celia for one last boon before she left him. . .he wanted her to recite the spell which would make him mortal once more.
It was a selfish thing to do. He created this world, and now he was turning that responsibility over to Celia, who was an innocent victim. But he had no desire to live in this world, not without his Anck-su-namun. And so, with tears streaming down her face, Celia chanted the words which would rob Imhotep of his mortality. Imhotep tenderly kissed her forehead one last time, then sent her on her way.
Evy barely managed to wipe away her tears as she watched the journey to Ahm Shere. There, Hafez awakened the Scorpion King. . .and there he died, torn apart by the great pinchers of the once human king. There, too, the Scorpion King died. . .his Anubis Warriors never even made it out of the desert. But it was there, too, that Imhotep died. As before, he fell into the crack which opened to the underworld, and out of a sheer animal instinct for survival, he grabbed the ledge.
But as he hung there, Imhotep again saw Anck-su-namun falling before Lock-nah's sword, in her desperate attempt to protect the reincarnation of her best friend. And as he had in Ahm Shere, in Evy's reality. . .Imhotep let go, unwilling to live without his love. The pyramid was sucked into the sand, until there was nothing left of the unnatural oasis which was there for five thousand years.
The picture dimmed and Evy looked at Rameses, whispering hoarsely, "I understand now." She wanted to ask what happened to Celia and the others, but couldn't bring herself to voice the question. She wasn't sure she really wanted to know. There were only a handful of people remaining, after Imhotep expended his wrath. . .no more than a million all over the world. No, this time. . .this time, it was better *not* to know.
Rameses said softly, "I see you do understand, my little sister. But there is more which you must see. More which you must know, before you truly understand." Evy wiped away her tears, looking at Nefertiri's older brother. But his face gave no sign of what he meant by that. He only waved his hand, drawing Evy's attention back to the wall which showed her the previous images. . .and this image was just as familiar. Ahm Shere. Rameses intoned, "Behold. Ahm Shere. . .and a different chain of events, thanks to a clumsy young acolyte."
Sangelleigh: Ohh, someone will physically kick Rick's butt. Not Celia, but someone infinitely more powerful and infinitely more ticked off. Celia's first priority is her husband, as you'll see in the successive chapters.
Deana: Would you like to slap Rick's wrist? Or something? (get your mind out of the gutter, Deana!)
Part Two
While Celia Bey was taking care of her husband in the bathroom which adjoined their bedroom, Evelyn O'Connell was lambasting her own husband for his stupidity. Never, in the years of their marriage, did he say something so. . . so. . .so idiotic! There were many times when he angered her, and when she angered him, but this was the limit! This was worse than when Khaldun took him over, just outside Hamunaptra.
Evy finally ran out of words to express just how disappointed she was in her husband. Rick, much to her surprise, was silent through her tirade. He said softly, "I know, Evy, I was a jerk. Celia already read me the riot act." This was very unlike her husband, and Evy frowned, ignoring the way her daughter stirred in her womb. She knew she shouldn't get so upset at this point in her pregnancy.
But Rick went too far. Evy asked, "What will it take before you finally accept Ardeth can be trusted? That's exactly what you act like, as if you're afraid Ardeth will turn on us suddenly." Rick started to speak, but Evy wasn't finished. She went on, "Everything we've all been through, it means nothing to you? Ardeth saved my life so many times, and yes, I've returned the favor. But he's my brother, Rick. Just as much as Jonathan is, and I feel like you want me to choose between my families. I can't do that!"
"I would never ask you to do that! I just. . .I wasn't thinking, Evy. All I could think of was you and the baby, and the possibility of losing you both. I know. . .I *know* that Ardeth would never do anything to hurt you or the baby. It's just that every time something bad happens to us, he's right in the middle of it!" Rick replied. Evy rubbed her fingers over her now-aching temples. They were back to this, then.
"He's only in the middle of it, Rick, because we put him there," she replied quietly. Evy remembered Rick asking her not to join this particular expedition, and she knew Ardeth was involved in that somehow. She would have agreed, if not for the persistent dreams about that temple of Isis, and the necklace that was worn by Nefertiri. Like Thebes before it, it reached the point where she could think of nothing else.
Evy looked up at her husband, repeating, "We put him in the middle. Me, with my constant desire to see things, to know things, to find things, whether they should be found or not. This time, we were lucky. . .no one we loved died or was kidnapped. We can't keep doing this, Rick. I can't keep putting Ardeth's life. . .and sanity. . .at risk, and you can't keep telling me 'all right.' Because next time, it may not be Alex or me who pays the price. I don't think I could live with myself if I cost Ardeth or Celia their lives."
Nearly a year earlier, Rick told her that she and Alex were the only things that mattered to him. They both remembered that conversation very well, because it was the night their world exploded. The night first she, then Alex, was kidnapped. The night Ardeth almost died, and the night she realized just how much he meant to her. The rage which filled her soul when she saw the Mummy Warrior preparing to kill him. . .
"You really do love him," Rick said softly. Evy nodded. Yes. She did. In spite of the bad start, or maybe because of it, it took very little time for the reincarnations of Rameses and Nefertiri to work their way back to their sibling relationship in lifetimes gone by. The beginning was the day Hamunaptra sank below the sands once more, but with each encounter, her affection for the quiet, serious young chieftain grew.
"Yes. I do. He's my brother, Rick. Not just Rameses and Nefertiri, but so many other lifetimes since then. He hasn't always been a Med-jai, but he always has been a protector. Just as you have been. You can't do this any more. You can't blame him for bringing trouble to our door, because we do it to ourselves. Have you ever once thought about the risk he took in coming to London to help us?" Evy asked.
She often did, especially after she learned he stowed away in the trunks of one of the cars which carried Lock-nah, Meela, and the others. He hid in plain sight, not once but twice. They never even suspected that Ardeth was undercover among their workers. Thank God. Because if they found him, Meela would have tortured him, and enjoyed it. Evy said aloud, "This family would not exist without him, Rick."
She shuddered, thinking about how different things would have been without Ardeth. How many times did Ardeth turn the tide of the battle? *What would I do without you?* she asked Rick after their escape, but the same was true of Ardeth. There was silence in the room, as she and her husband stared at each other. Jonathan emerged from the kitchen with a full tray.
He didn't even look at Rick as he told Evy, "I'm taking this upstairs. I'll be back if you need me." Evy nodded, touching her brother's shoulder as he passed her. And still, he said nothing to Rick. At least, not until he reached the stairs. Then he turned and said, "You know, Evy, you're right. This family wouldn't exist with Ardeth. And I plan on telling him that."
He moved silently and swiftly up the stairs. Rick sighed and said, "I'll apologize to him, after both he and Celia have a chance to calm down. I know I hurt him, honey. I know that." Evy nodded. Yes, they both knew that. The question then became, what would they do about it? What would Rick do about it? Ardeth and Celia were leaving in the morning after all, and Evy doubted if her husband would find the apology in his heart in time.
. . .
Jonathan Carnahan didn't ususally listen at keyholes, but the gunshot he heard inside the house didn't leave him with much opportunity to do anything else. He dropped the garbage and ran inside, right behind Rick. He heard his brother-in-law lash out at their Med-jai friend, blaming him for the attack against Evy. He heard Ardeth finally push back, and he heard the entire argument between Celia and Rick.
Now, two hours after that ugly confrontation, Jonathan carried some sustenance upstairs to his two friends. He went back outside, after Celia went upstairs. He was afraid he would tear Rick into little tiny pieces if he didn't leave the house. And he couldn't approach Celia or Ardeth right now. Celia was in 'protector attack' mode, as Jonathan once heard it called. . .she would attack anyone connected with Rick right now. The Englishman thought the only thing that prevented her from going after Evy was his little sister's pregnancy.
However, she had two hours to calm down. Jonathan kicked at the door lightly, hearing a soft, 'come in.' He rolled his eyes and put the tray down, before opening the door. Propping the door open with his foot, then his arse, Jonathan picked the tray up and carried it into the room. Ardeth was sound asleep, Celia locked in his arms. They both wore bathrobes. Celia gave Jonathan a faint smile and murmured, "We had a long journey, and have another one tomorrow. It's a good thing I didn't buy our tickets ahead of time. We would have been in trouble."
Jonathan didn't know what to say to that, and so he kept silent. There was a time, not so long ago, when he would have blustered his way through a smart remark, but that desire was quenched ruthlessly. Instead, he looked at Ardeth once more. His black hair covered his face, and only the soft breathing assured Jonathan that his friend was still alive. He asked very softly, "Is he all right? Physically, I mean?"
Celia reached up to gently stroke Ardeth's hair, drawing a soft murmur, then Celia answered, "He's very tired, and probably will be very hungry when he wakes up. I promised him that I would wake him when dinner came, but I don't see the harm in letting him sleep a few more minutes, do you?" Jonathan shook his head, and Celia continued, "His palm was grazed by the dagger of one of the Guardians, but we bound that after we finished our bath."
"Ohhh, not you too!" Jonathan mock-whined in response, and was rewarded with a mischievous grin. Both smiles faded, however, when Ardeth moaned softly in his sleep, mumbling in Arabic. Celia looked concerned, but Jonathan, who could understand what Ardeth just said, was struggling to keep from blushing. All right, he *really* didn't need that image in his head! And when he had a chance, he'd make Ardeth pay for that!
"Ardeth? Wake up, sweetheart, it's just a dream," Celia whispered, all her concentration on her husband. She totally missed the chagrined expression on Jonathan's face, for which he was very grateful. The young bride tenderly kissed Ardeth's forehead, her lips brushing the tattoo there. Ardeth sighed, then his eyes began to flutter open. Celia smiled in relief and said, "Rise and shine, darlin,' dinner's ready."
"Yes, well, I'll leave you two lovebirds alone," Jonathan muttered as Ardeth shifted. He averted his eyes, for the motion nudged open Celia's robe. . .another image he really didn't need in his head. Ardeth sat up with a groan and Jonathan looked back at his friend anxiously, forgetting his own embarrassment as he asked, "I say, old chap, are you all right?" Now that he thought about it, Ardeth did look awfully pale. . .
"I am fine, Jonathan. . .I merely have a headache," Ardeth replied, then muttered under his breath. He spoke in Arabic, but Jonathan knew that he was blaming the Guardians and Rick for his headache. Not knowing what else to do, the Englishman placed the tray over Ardeth's lap. As he did, he caught his breath, a sudden chilly wind sweeping over him in a now- familiar sensation. When his vision cleared, he was once more in ancient Egypt.
**Ardath was in the eighth month of her pregnancy, and Rameses was driving her mad with his overprotectiveness. Nassor understood why. Rameses almost lost Ardath when she miscarried their daughter, to say nothing of almost losing his father at the same time. However, Nassor also understand Ardath's exasperation with her beloved. Which was why he stayed with the couple as often as possible, to make sure Ardath didn't kill Rameses with her bare hands.
At the moment, he and Rameses were arranging a tray at Ardath's bedside. She struggled into a sitting position. It was not easy, for the infant boy she carried in her womb was a large one, and she was a small woman. Nassor feared more for the delivery than he did for the pregnancy itself. As Rameses fussed over the tray, Nassor carefully arranged the pillows to make Ardath more comfortable, with Anck-su-namun looking on.
At last, annoyed by the fussing of the two men, Anck cried out, "Enough!" The two men stopped what they were doing, exchanging a glance at the young concubine's obvious exasperation. She shooed away both Rameses and Nassor, continuing, "Ardath is pregnant, she is not ill and she is not dying. We have checked the food three times, Rameses. . .everything is fine. Now go, before she decides to strangle you, never mind the consequences!"
"We should go, my friend," Nassor said, putting his hand on Rameses' shoulder, "We know that your Ardath is quite capable of knocking you senseless." He discreetly ignored Anck-su-namun's muttered, 'you assume he has sense *to* lose,' and turned to Ardath, saying, "We will return, dear lady." She nodded and Nassor added in a low voice, "And try to be patient with Rameses. He is only being annoying because he loves you so much." Ardath nodded once more, a rueful smile lighting her face.**
Jonathan snapped back to reality, finding himself once more back in 1933 England. Neither Ardeth nor Celia noticed Jonathan's mental journey into the past. Ardeth was eating voraciously, though with dignity and restraint. Celia was eating as well, though much more slowly, and she said when she felt Jonathan's eyes on her, "I suggested that eating might help Ardeth's headache."
"Are you sure punching out my brother-in-law won't help?" Jonathan asked. She just waggled her brows, and returned her attention to her husband. Ardeth was glowering, and Jonathan said apologetically, "So sorry, old chap, I forgot how much you hate it when people talk about you as if you weren't really here." A quick glance told him that Celia was struggling to keep from laughing outright.
"Do not tempt me, Jonathan," Ardeth warned and Jonathan regretted teasing his friend. He also wanted to take a swing at his brother-in-law. What was Rick thinking? Ardeth continued, "You and Evelyn, and Alex, will always be important to me, but O'Connell has made it very clear, his position. I shall respect that." It took Jonathan a moment to figure out what his friend was saying, then his heart dropped.
He said, shaking his head, "Don't say that, Ardeth. You've got every right to be furious with Rick, I'll never say otherwise. And he doesn't deserve to have you as a friend, but please don't make any decisions now." Ardeth didn't answer, but the way his eyes flashed, Jonathan had a sinking feeling he knew what his friend decided. *If only there was a way we could keep him one more day,* he thought desperately, *maybe we could convince him that Rick didn't mean it, that he's important to all of us!*
One day, he would learn to be careful what he wished for. . .the gods would sometimes grant that wish, in a most unexpected way.
. . .
In the Afterlife, another argument raged. Ma'at, goddess of order and justice, was trying desperately to talk Isis and Horus out of their plan. She knew that it was already moving forward. It was put into motion from the moment Evy O'Connell touched the necklace. But there was always the chance to avert what was to come. She said now, **This is not necessary! The mortals have already started to render judgment!**
**Too late, my dear Ma'at,** came the steely reply of Isis, **and you know that. It is too late for what young Ardath has planned, and it is too late for the Carnahans to change what has gone before. Rick O'Connell must learn what the cost of his actions are. We did not choose this course. We have never forced the mortals to do anything. We merely put the choices before them, and now they must face the consequences.**
Ma'at knew she could not argue with that. More to the point, she wouldn't even try. Ma'at was as practical as any Egyptian, and it made no sense for her to argue when the other side was in the right. . .as was the case this time. But there was one other card left for her to play. She said, **I once told the mortals that I forgot one very important factor in judging the soul of Rameses. I told them that I forgot how mortals punish themselves, without any help from us. That is what will happen to O'Connell as well. Once he sees the truth, with no more blinders, he will punish himself.**
**Perhaps you are willing to trust that,** Horus replied bitterly, **but I am not. You forget, Ma'at, when my name is invoked, I listen, just as you do. To every word, to every nuance.** Ma'at averted her eyes from the young god. Every time Ardeth spoke to his bird, Horus listened, and it was in this way that his hatred of Rick O'Connell grew. Horus continued, **Even if I were willing to trust Rick O'Connell, there is still the matter of the Guardians. We cannot allow this to continue.**
She knew that as well. She knew that when Evy O'Connell followed her dreams to the Temple of Isis, and took the necklace of Nefertiri, she would awaken yet another evil. Only Isis and Horus could stop what came next, for they were the ones who placed the protective spell on the necklace. And it was to the mother and son that the Med-jai belonged. She sighed, **And what of the innocents in the crossfire?**
**You know that we will try to protect them, Ma'at. But this has been repeating for several lifetimes. Terumun was the last persona who knew how to trust, and Rick O'Connell has been given enough chances through the centuries,** Isis replied. She paused, then added, **And do not blame this on Rameses turning against the Med-jai. The two are unrelated.** That was something Ma'at knew as well.
She just didn't like the idea of Horus and Isis preparing this. . .now, what was the American saying? Oh yes. . .this double whammy for O'Connell. Ma'at knew about the plans currently underway by Anck-su-namun, Ardath, and Rameses. The two concubines drew Rameses into their plans, not that he fought them particularly hard. And the only thing more frightening, even to Ma'at, than the idea of Ardath, Anck-su-namun and Rameses joining forces in the Afterlife. . .was the possibility of Imhotep agreeing to help.
She said with a sigh, **There is nothing I can do to talk you out of this. I just ask, my dear Friends, that you take care. You know as well as I that plans backfire. I am afraid that Rick O'Connell will turn against Ardeth Bey, once and for all, because of this plan of yours.** At that statement, the mother and son looked at each other. . .and smiled. The shared smile had the effect of making Ma'at even more nervous.
**You have no reason to worry, my dear Ma'at, for what we have planned. . . well, if O'Connell turned against our Med-jai, then he would be an even smaller man than Celia Bey accused him of being,** Isis replied after a moment. Actually, Celia hadn't accused O'Connell of being a small man. . .just of having a small heart. There was a difference, albeit minute. Isis added, **And we must take action, if we want to prevent a greater evil from taking place.**
**Yes, you have said that already,** Ma'at replied impatiently, **but you will not say what this greater evil is. What is at stake here? The lives of those young people? The fate of the world? The fate of the Med- jai? What are you trying to defeat?** The mother and son looked at each other, which made Ma'at grow nervous once more. She saw the confrontation in the O'Connell house once more, between the Guardians and the Med-jai chieftain.
**It is all of the above, Ma'at. You know, of course, that Lady Ardath intends to illustrate to Rick O'Connell what would have happened to his family, if Andreas Bey commanded the Med-jai at the time of Imhotep's first rising. She wishes him to understand, once and for all, just how much he owes her child and ours,** Horus replied. Ma'at nodded. Yes. She didn't approve, as the line between justice and revenge was a fine one indeed in this situation. However, after being deterred time after time, Ardath's patience vanished. Ma'at could not deter her this time.
**If we do not intervene, then the O'Connells, and Celia Bey, will find out exactly what kind of world this would be without the young chieftain,** Isis added. Ma'at looked at the pair, silently horrified. Isis continued, **As I said, the evil was unleashed when the Guardians were awakened. The same evil will cost Ardeth Bey his life if we do not intervene. Sister, please. I ask you. Do not attempt to stop us. Allow us to do what must be done, to protect our Med-jai.**
Ma'at knew that the scales were out of balance. She knew that the mother and son were right, that balance had to be restored. Her main concern was that Horus and Isis were acting out of a desire for revenge. But now she understood that in their own way, they were trying to restore balance and justice. She sighed, **I still do not like this. But I like the idea of judging Ardeth Bey before his time even less. Do what you must.**
**We thank you, Ma'at. There are a few more pieces which must be moved into position, before we can take action. And for my son, this will be the hardest part of all. He has long held much affection for Ardeth Bey, ever since the boy became a man and a warrior,** Isis said in an undertone. This was, of course, when his older brother gave Horus to him. The young god took an interest in the boy at that time, and that interest grew into a ferocious love.
Ma'at wondered if his heart broke, as hers did, when the young chieftain called the hawk his best and most clever friend. As angered as she was by the past, Ma'at never held the succeeding generations of Med-jai responsible for the stupidity of their ancestors. Horus did not speak, did not answer the question in the mind of the goddess, though he heard it asked. Which, in a way, did answer her question. His heart broke for the loneliness which plagued the young Med-jai king for so long. . .and it broke anew when Horus was shot out of the sky. Ma'at allowed herself a cold smile, thinking of the eternal torment she visited upon Lock-nah. That was one sentence she enjoyed passing.
But Ma'at did not speak of this. Instead, she asked next, **You spoke a moment ago of pieces which must be placed in position. . .what exactly did you mean by that?** Isis did not answer. At least, not directly. However, her eyes shifted to that Place In-Between, where Mathayus and Anck-su-namun previously watched over the mortals. Now, the young concubine and her best friend were making plans of her own.
Ma'at understood. However, Isis said softly, **I know that you disapprove of the actions taken by Ardath and Anck-su-namun. I know you fear that both girls are being driven by a desire for revenge, rather than a need to see justice done. But in order for our plans to work, it is necessary for their plan to work. It is absolutely essential, and I promise we will not allow it to go too far. Indeed, we would fail in our own endeavor if we allowed Anck-su-namun the leeway she wishes in this matter.**
**This will change everything, will it not? Rick O'Connell will not be the only one transformed by what those two are planning. Just as Alex O'Connell threatened to create a new apocalpyse, by putting on the Bracelet of Anubis, those girls will start a chain reaction of their own,** Ma'at observed. She watched them intently, seeing them examine each scenario, and listened to the ideas being exchanged.
It surprised her little that Lady Ardath rejected any idea which meant inflicting physical harm upon O'Connell. . .and it surprised her even less that it was Anck-su-namun who made these suggestions. Isis replied, **If our plans work as they are supposed to. . .yes. Everything will change. Rick O'Connell, Evelyn O'Connell. . .even Ardeth Bey and his wife. Everything will change, and be better for the change.**
Which meant, of course, that the balance would be restored. Ma'at looked first at the young newlyweds in the guest room of the O'Connell manor. Then she looked at the silent pair in the library. Finally, she looked at the best friends plotting to turn the world of Rick O'Connell upside down. At last, Ma'at looked back at the mother and son, and said, **So be it.** The sentence was signed. . .now, it would be carried out.
. . .
It started as such a pleasant day. Now it looked like Rick just lost his best friend, his wife was barely speaking to him, and his brother-in- law looked at Rick as if he was barely above a flesh-eating scarabs in Hamunaptra. Rick tried to talk to Ardeth and Celia before going to bed, but was coolly informed by a retreating Jonathan that they were both asleep. It could wait until morning. His brother-in-law physically put his own body between Rick and the door, and Rick didn't have the energy to push past him.
Also exhausted by the emotional roller coaster of the day, Rick retreated to the room he shared with Evy. She was reading, and barely spared him a glance. He supposed he was lucky she didn't make him sleep on the couch. Or worse. Rick earlier watched her slip into Ardeth and Celia's room after he left. . .to his surprise, Jonathan was telling the truth. Ardeth was sound asleep, Celia locked firmly in his arms.
He watched as Evy leaned over to kiss Ardeth's forehead, as if he was no older than Alex. She looked tired, and Rick realized with a pang of guilt that this day was difficult on her as well. Of course it was. . .she would have died, if not for Celia and Ardeth. When he could get one of those two to talk to him, he would find out exactly how they knew Evy was in danger. Rick couldn't accept that he just destroyed the one friendship which truly mattered to him.
Ardeth was always there for him. He never failed Rick. But O'Connell knew that he couldn't say the same. As Rick lay in his bed, staring at his ceiling, his wife's words came back to haunt him. Without Ardeth, this family would not exist. He heard about Garai's dream, about the fate of the Med-jai, had Andreas lived. It didn't seem real to him, though. Perhaps it was a mark of just how deeply entrenched Ardeth was in his life and in his world, that Rick couldn't imagine what such a world would be like.
As ever, he wasn't aware of falling asleep. . .one moment, he was awake, and the next. . .The next, he was in a strange place. A strangely familiar place. Rick looked around him, his heart racing. It looked like Ahm Shere, like Hamunaptra, like a hundred different temples he saw in his years of marriage to Evy. It was all of them and none of them. And standing in the middle of this strange room was a single, solitary figure. A young girl, it looked like.
"So. You cannot fathom a world without Ardeth Bey, Rick O'Connell?" the girl asked. She spoke in ancient Egyptian, her words tinted by a slight accent that he couldn't place. More than that, he didn't understand why he understood, when Rick didn't understand a word of the ancient language. Hell, half the time he didn't understand Ardeth even when he spoke English! The girl turned to face him, long dark hair swinging about her shoulders.
And it was then that he recognized her. The black wig which covered her own curly dark hair. The kohl-rimmed eyes and the pale face. Hazel eyes which burned into him only hours earlier. But it wasn't the same girl. This girl was much younger. . .and much older. Rick breathed, "Lady Ardath." She tilted her head to one side, before dipping it ever so slightly in a way which reminded Rick powerfully of his friend. Which was reasonable, considering she was Ardeth's own ancestress.
"You do remember me. . .I am flattered. I was not certain if you would. The last time you saw me, I shared a body with my reincarnation," the young concubine observed. Rick was trying to process this information. This was no dream. He had no reason to dream about this woman. She was attired in her favorite white shift, with a gold belt at her waist, and her feet were bare. Ardath, beloved of Rameses, walked in a circle around Rick, continuing, "But you did not answer my question. You cannot imagine a world without Ardeth Bey? Perhaps, then, I should show you what Garai has seen."
Rick found it hard to keep his eyes on this woman as she circled around him, though she kept her eyes on him in an unnerving way. She was twenty years old when she died. Younger than Evy was when they met. But in those twenty years of life, she experienced more than most people of the modern era did in their entire lives. Rick said slowly, "Why would you do this? Why have you brought me here?"
"Why? I should think that was obvious, Mr. O'Connell. I wish to make sure you never take my child for granted again," Ardath answered. She stopped circling around him, her eyes boring into his once more. Rick tried to look away, tried to pull his eyes away from hers. But she would not allow that. She had a force of will that Rick couldn't remember from being Terumun. A force of will he witnessed many times in Ardeth.
Rick said, "If this is about what happened today. . .I'm sorry. I went too far, and my brain quit working." Ardath once more began circling around him, making him very nervous. When Rick O'Connell became nervous, he also became defensive. Thus was the case when he snapped, "Dammit, what do you want from me? I apologized, I'll make it right with Ardeth!" The young woman stopped, her wig whipping around her face.
Her eyes blazed as she hissed, "You cannot make it right, Rick O'Connell! You cannot, because you have no idea what kind of world would have been born in the wake of Imhotep's triumph! You cannot make it right, because you have no idea what kind of world would have been created without my child here to help you. You have no idea, because you still do not understand the sacrifices my child has made for you and yours!
Rick jerked back, stunned by the potency of her rage. Lady Ardath nodded her head slowly, adding, "No, you have no idea. But you will. It is time for you to see what my child has meant to your family. Your wife was correct, when she told you that your family would not exist without my child. Not even she understands how correct she is, but I am sure she will. You see, even as I educate you. . .my Rameses shows what would have been to his reborn sister."
"What would have been. . .what might have been? What's that got to do with anything? That's not important. What's important is reality, and the reality is, we kicked Imhotep's ass not once, but twice!" Rick blurted out. Wrong thing to say. Ardath's dark eyes narrowed and she stepped closer to him. One small hand reached out, touching Rick's chest. . .and knocked him back several feet. It took Rick a moment to shake off his dizziness, and when he did, the concubine was standing over him, her eyes burning into him like a pair of hot coals.
He remembered from Terumun that when Ardath was angry, her eyes darkened until they were almost black. The same color they were right now. For that matter, they were the same color as Celia's when she was mad. Oh shit. He was screwed! Lady Ardath hissed, "Know this, Rick O'Connell. Reality is what you make of it. For every choice you make, there are other options which have the potential to alter your fate. That is why you are here. And you will not leave until you understand that, until you see the other possibilities which might have resulted from your choices and the choices made by others. By Andreas Bey, by Lock-nah, by Ardeth himself, and by your own wife."
The words, the expression, the burning dark eyes served to remind Rick of another confrontation, eight years in the past. Dazed, he murmured, repeating those long-ago words, "Know this. This creature is the bringer of death. He will never eat. . .he will never sleep. . .and he will never stop." Ardeth's words to him after Evy awakened Imhotep, and Rick protested that Imhotep was dead.
Lady Ardath raised an eyebrow and replied, "Very good. You do remember. Get up, Mr. O'Connell. I cannot show you the truth if you are lying on your back, staring up at me." Rick did as he was told and rose first to his knees, then to his feet. Ardath waved her hand, and one wall lit up. Rick's heart dropped as he recognized the scene. Hamunaptra, the night he first met Ardeth.
Lady Ardath intoned, "Hamunaptra, 1926. In 1917, Andreas Bey, the headstrong chieftain, showed a rare moment of common sense. He, his seventeen year old brother, and the twelve Commanders hunted down Lock-nah for his crimes against the Med-jai, and executed him. On this night, Andreas Bey is thirty-one years old. He has a beautiful wife, and Ardeth is his second-in-command, for Andreas realizes that Ardeth is more level- headed and more inclined to look after the needs of the men than himself."
Rick almost asked why she was showing him what he already knew, when the picture changed. Once more, a Med-jai raced after Jonathan, and once more, Rick tackled him from his horse, sending both men into a tent. But this time, it was not Ardeth who stared at him, but his older brother. Rick had a sudden, sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, because he saw none of the quiet strength and sensibility which marked Ardeth.
He was proven correct, when the other Rick rolled back and lit a stick of dynamite. Instead of taking Rick's measure, Andreas rushed him with a wild cry of rage. The dream-Rick threw the dynamite, and Andreas batted it away with his scimitar. Rick saw his other self falling backward, with the scimitar poised to end his life. The dynamite exploded, and a scream tore the air. The scimitar stopped, and his assailant spun around, his eyes wild. He screamed his brother's name, then ran toward the explosion. Rick's dream self followed with the Americans.
The men in black robes parted for their chieftain, except for a small group of men huddled around another. The dream-Rick stared in shock. He could see little of the victim, only a pair of boots under black robes. But he could see a small crater where the dynamite exploded. At the same time, the real Rick could tell something else. Ardeth's back was to the dynamite when it went off.
He was the only one hurt, and Rick gave a strangled moan, whispering, "No." He didn't need Lady Ardath to gesture once more to know that Ardeth realized the danger, and pushed the men back from the dynamite before it went off. Rick said again, "No." But nothing changed. The horror on the faces of the Med-jai. Ardeth's motionless body. Was he alive, was he dead? Would he survive the injuries caused by his irrational older brother and the American? Rick didn't have a very good feeling about this, and he prayed that he wouldn't watch his best friend die, as he once watched his wife die.
Andreas Bey fell to his knees beside his younger brother, moaning, "Ardeth. . .oh gods, no! No, no, no!" He gathered the unmoving form into his arms, rocking him back and forth. Jonathan came to the dream-Rick's side, guiding a stunned Evelyn. He was actually holding her upright, for she was still shaking off the effects of being knocked off her feet by the force of the shotgun blast when she fired it at the oncoming warrior.
It was then that Rick realized that his friend wasn't quite dead, for both he and Lady Ardath heard the young warrior whispering something to his elder brother. The only thing which the dream-Rick heard was Andreas whispering in Arabic, "No, little brother, save your strength. You mustn't speak. . .just rest. Shhh." Now both the dream-Rick and the real Rick could see Ardeth cradled against his older brother's broad chest.
A Med-jai was saying in Arabic, "He saw the dynamite when it hit, Andreas, and he started pushing us all back. He saved us, Andreas, and sacrificed himself." Rick bit back a moan, seeing the terrible injuries done to his friend by that stick of dynamite. Andreas growled, scooping Ardeth up into his arms and standing up straight. Ardeth was still breathing, barely, and draped over his brother's arms. He mercifully lost consciousness.
Andreas came face to face with the dream-Rick, and said, "We will go now. But if we return tomorrow, and you are still here. . .if my brother dies. . .I will kill you." The dream-Rick looked at the unconscious form in the man's arms. Andreas called out, "Yalla, imshi!" Another rider took Ardeth's limp body from the chieftain, long enough for Andreas to mount his own horse. Then the older brother took Ardeth back, cradling him once more against his chest.
The next scene was the Med-jai village, where the healers fought to save the young warrior. He lost a great deal of blood, much of it internal. Ardeth passed in and out of consciousness, moaning in pain when consciousness returned. But not enough consciousness to make him aware of his surroundings, or of the strong arms which held him so tightly. . .the arms of his older brother.
By this time, tears were running down Rick's face. Ardeth was so stoic, there were times Rick forgot that the other man was just as fragile as any human being. But now, the only reality Ardeth knew was pain. He could focus on nothing else. He couldn't even see the tears streaking his older brother's face. As Ardeth struggled to breathe, Andreas whispered, "Fight, my little brother, fight. I need you, Ardeth, you are my strength." Rick tried to look away as Andreas kissed his brother's forehead, but his companion would not allow that. Andreas rasped out, "Oh gods, Ardeth, you cannot do this to me! What will I do without you? Gods, you cannot take my little brother! He is too young to die! Stay with me, Ardeth, stay with me. Just keep breathing."
But the injuries were too much. The explosion catapulted Ardeth off his feet, before smashing him onto the ground with terrible force. The impact shattered the young warrior's spleen, broke several ribs, and those broken ribs in turn punctured his lung. Ardeth took a breath. . .released it. . .but his chest didn't rise again. The life left his body with that last breath, and Andreas Bey moaned his brother's name in denial and in grief, "No! Ardeth, Ardeth, Ardeth. . .oh gods, Ardeth, come back! Come back!"
Rick felt icy fingers trickle down his spine, hearing himself in that anguished cry. He said those words. He cried out to his dying wife, begging her to come back to him. She did. But no one would restore his little brother to Andreas. That sick feeling returned to Rick, for he saw what would come next. Even as the grieving chieftain drew his brother once more into his arms, Rick knew, without Andreas saying the words.
But he heard them, nonetheless. Andreas kissed his brother's forehead, before carefully gathering him up and carrying him outside. Under the rising sun, Andreas lifted his brother's body high in his arms. The grieving chieftain cried, "Gods of Egypt, welcome my brother into the Afterlife. Ma'at will weigh his heart, and find him worthy. And I. . .I shall take my revenge. He who killed my brother *will* die!"
"I've seen enough," Rick told Lady Ardath as the image slowly faded away. He saw more than enough. She merely raised her eyebrows as Rick angrily wiped away his tears, and the American repeated, "I said, I've seen enough, you've proven your point! Andreas is gonna kill me, avenging his brother, and then he'll die himself at Imhotep's hands. Garai has told us about his dreams, I know what comes next!"
"You have seen enough?" Lady Ardath murmured, tilting her head to one side. She regarded him thoughtfully, her forehead furrowed with concentration. Rick had no idea what she was looking for in him. He only knew that she didn't find it. She shook her head, saying, "You have seen enough, you say? I think not, Rick O'Connell. I think not. Behold. . .there is far more to see, than what I have shown you so far." She waved her hand, demonstrating exactly what she meant by *that* remark.
. . .
Evelyn O'Connell, of course, had no way of knowing what her husband was dreaming. She only knew once she fell asleep, she found herself in the past. . .in the nursery where Nefertiri once watched Rameses weep for his lost Ardath, and for the son who was her final gift to him. She knew one other thing. In this place, she wasn't pregnant. Evy looked around, frowning when she heard crying. It came from the crib, and Evy went to the source.
A baby was crying. And that part of Evy which was Nefertiri whispered, "My nephew." She gathered the little boy into her arms, realizing with a start that she held the first Ardeth Bey. The first Med- jai chieftain, now just a helpless baby in her arms. She remembered dying at Ahm Shere, and thinking about the son she was leaving behind. 'Take care of Alex,' she told Rick when he asked her what to do. And for the first time, she thought about how Ardath must have felt, leaving her seven- day old son.
"It was the worst thing which ever happened to her, my little sister," came a familiar voice. Evy turned to see Ardeth approach her. Only. . .it wasn't Ardeth. No familiar markings adorned his face, and Evy knew that this was Rameses, elder brother of Nefertiri, beloved prince of Ardath, and the father of the child now in her arms. Rameses approached her, his dark eyes shifting to the infant, and Evy reacted on pure instinct. She placed the little boy in his arms.
Rameses tried to pull away, his eyes now looking panicked, but the baby began crying. Evy said severely, "Your son needs you, Rameses. You are no longer without your Ardath, my brother. . .will you let your son go so easily a second time?" Evy knew that giving Ardeth to Shakir was not easy for Rameses. . .not easy at all, and Rameses glared at her.
But he didn't release his son. Instead, he drew little Ardeth closer, snapping, "It is time I educated you, little sister, just as your husband is being educated as we speak." He nodded toward one of the walls, in a gesture which reminded her powerfully of Ardeth. Of course it would. Ardeth was this man's reincarnation, as well as his descendant. Evy looked away from her brother. . .from Nefertiri's brother. . .and gasped at the sight in front of her.
It was the night of the Med-jai raid at Hamunaptra, the night they first met Ardeth. But instead of Ardeth, his older brother Andreas was in charge, and Evy realized with horror that she was seeing the nightmare which tormented Garai. She actually saw the explosion that would have taken Ardeth's life. She watched the life leave Ardeth's body, and heard Andreas cry to the heavens, swearing revenge.
In this horrible version of reality, they again remained at Hamunaptra. Only this time, the price of her arrogance was much, much higher. She watched herself reading from the Book of the Dead. . .heard Imhotep cry out in triumph and rage. . .and saw the swarm of locusts. She watched in horror as Mr Burns' glasses were trampled in the attempt to escape, and as his eyes and tongue were taken from him by Imhotep.
And again, the reality twisted horribly. She heard about it from Garai. But seeing it was far different. Because as the group flew out of Hamunaptra, they once more stopped short at the sight of the Med-jai. But the Med-jai did not stop. Andreas stepped forward, drew his dagger and drove it deep into Rick's abdomen. Evy caught her breath, seeing an eerie reenactment of her own stabbing at the hands of Meela Nais.
Andreas hissed, "I told you if my brother died, then I would kill you." He twisted the knife, driving a strangled groan from Rick, and continued, "My brother died this morning, now it is your turn." He drew the knife from Rick's body, stepping back, and allowed Rick to fall. Andreas turned his attention to Evy, saying, "You killed my brother as well, woman, but I will allow you to live. Now, GO! We must go on the hunt, and find a way to kill the Creature. GO!"
But Andreas did not live through the hunt for Imhotep. Instead, he and his Med-jai were killed by the newly-awakened victim of the hom-dai. Evy couldn't look away. Imhotep tortured him for hours, until Andreas finally begged for death, tortured him and taunted him with visions of what Imhotep would do to his people once Anck-su-namun was successfully raised this time.
Promises that he kept. But first, he killed those who opened the chest. His next target was Evy. Jonathan tried. . .tried so hard to protect her, but he met an equally deadly fate. Then it was Evy's turn. Ardeth was dead. Rick was dead. Jonathan was dead. The curator was dead. All of the Americans were dead. There was no one to save her when Imhotep sacrificed her to bring back Anck-su-namun. No one to stand in the high priest's way as he wiped out the Med-jai at Hamunaptra. Warriors from all twelve tribes, women, and children, it didn't matter.
Nothing could stop him, but there was no happy ending for Imhotep or Anck-su-namun, either. At the insistence of the new queen, Lock-nah and his men found twenty-three year old Celia Ferguson in Chicago, abducted her, and brought her to Anck. But instead of commanding him to kill her, as Lock-nah anticipated, Anck screamed in rage when she beheld Celia's manacles.
She freed the terrified girl, putting her arms around her protectively, and with that supposed betrayal, Lock-nah turned against his new mistress. He waited and watched through the years as the young queen grew attached to Ardath's reincarnation. In 1932, he struck. The plan was to kill Celia in full view of the queen. . .just as Imhotep and Anck-su-namun killed Seti while his daughter watched in horror from the balcony.
But Lock-nah underestimated the queen. She overheard two of Lock- nah's men plotting to kill Celia. As Lock-nah lifted his sword to slay the young American woman, Anck-su-namun burst into the chamber and took the killing blow herself. Imhotep saw everything, and as Celia struggled into a sitting position, trying to save Anck-su-namun, the enraged high priest cut down his treacherous ex-servant himself.
By now, tears were flowing freely down Evy's face. Three thousand years earlier, Anck-su-namun unwittingly caused the death of her best friend, by giving her the poisoned wine which Khaldun meant for Rameses. In 1932, Anck-su-namun sacrificed her own life to save Ardath's reincarnation, dying in Celia's arms as Imhotep begged her to live. When she died, his scream could be heard by the gods.
But it wasn't over yet. For in the slaughter which came, one of Lock- nah's men escaped Imhotep's wrath. Celia, who was a living reminder of Anck-su-namun, remained with the high priest in the dark days which followed. The servants and slaves came to trust her, for she often intervened on their behalf. . .and in return, they told her what they knew. When Celia had enough information, she went to Imhotep.
By this time, it was 1933, the year of the Scorpion. It was the intention of Hafez to wake the Scorpion King with the Bracelet of Anubis. If that happened, what remained of humanity would be wiped out. Imhotep's hatred was expended. He could allow no more people to die. He did not love Celia, not the way he loved Anck-su-namun. But the night before leaving for Ahm Shere, he lay with her, and then sent her from Egypt.
She did not go alone. He sent all of his servants, all of his slaves with her. They were to protect her, and she was to find all the pockets of humanity which remained. Now, Imhotep regretted killing the Med-jai, for he knew he could have used their aid against the Anubis Warriors. But there was no help for it now. Instead, he asked Celia for one last boon before she left him. . .he wanted her to recite the spell which would make him mortal once more.
It was a selfish thing to do. He created this world, and now he was turning that responsibility over to Celia, who was an innocent victim. But he had no desire to live in this world, not without his Anck-su-namun. And so, with tears streaming down her face, Celia chanted the words which would rob Imhotep of his mortality. Imhotep tenderly kissed her forehead one last time, then sent her on her way.
Evy barely managed to wipe away her tears as she watched the journey to Ahm Shere. There, Hafez awakened the Scorpion King. . .and there he died, torn apart by the great pinchers of the once human king. There, too, the Scorpion King died. . .his Anubis Warriors never even made it out of the desert. But it was there, too, that Imhotep died. As before, he fell into the crack which opened to the underworld, and out of a sheer animal instinct for survival, he grabbed the ledge.
But as he hung there, Imhotep again saw Anck-su-namun falling before Lock-nah's sword, in her desperate attempt to protect the reincarnation of her best friend. And as he had in Ahm Shere, in Evy's reality. . .Imhotep let go, unwilling to live without his love. The pyramid was sucked into the sand, until there was nothing left of the unnatural oasis which was there for five thousand years.
The picture dimmed and Evy looked at Rameses, whispering hoarsely, "I understand now." She wanted to ask what happened to Celia and the others, but couldn't bring herself to voice the question. She wasn't sure she really wanted to know. There were only a handful of people remaining, after Imhotep expended his wrath. . .no more than a million all over the world. No, this time. . .this time, it was better *not* to know.
Rameses said softly, "I see you do understand, my little sister. But there is more which you must see. More which you must know, before you truly understand." Evy wiped away her tears, looking at Nefertiri's older brother. But his face gave no sign of what he meant by that. He only waved his hand, drawing Evy's attention back to the wall which showed her the previous images. . .and this image was just as familiar. Ahm Shere. Rameses intoned, "Behold. Ahm Shere. . .and a different chain of events, thanks to a clumsy young acolyte."